


Milky Way

by museticals



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-03-11 18:48:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13530381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/museticals/pseuds/museticals
Summary: ❝so, ice cream?❞❝i was supposed to be hometwenty minutes ago.❞❝aw come on, live a little❞❝fine. let's motor.❞A stranger things AUJane "Eleven" HopperMax Mayfield





	1. Mouthbreathers

**Author's Note:**

> hiya, okay so basically I've decided to upload this on both Wattpad and here :) hope you all enjoy!

It was another gloomy day in Hawkins, Indiana. To expect the weather to be warm and beautiful is asking a lot of mother nature; primarily because of the time of year, the chill is suspected.

Unlike her few friends, Jane enjoyed the chilly weather. It gave her an excuse to wear her favorite jean jacket; the jacket is a very light shade of blue, mixed with a bit of white causing it to look washed out — decorated with buttons she pinned on the left side pocket.

Jane was currently in the library, sat by the foggy window. The precipitation and the cold breeze outside compared with the warm air indoors, caused water droplets to form against the glass on the inside. Despite the rainy day, she always sat by the window. It was her spot, for it helped her feel more connected to nature.

"Jane, can you help me with this assignment? It's due next class."

The raven-haired boy who sat next to her interrupted.

"Michael, I'm reading. Let me finish my page.

"This is your second run-through of the same book. Just this one question," Mike pleaded.

Jane looked up from the tinted brown pages, using her finger to hold her spot, "it is a very good book. Ask Lucas."

She argued, then turning her attention back to the story she was re-reading; Bridge to Terabithia, only to be interrupted once again.

"Lucas isn't a math guy."

"And I am not a math girl."

A few seconds after, Jane finished the chapter she was reading. She just got to the part where Jess returns from his trip to Washington with Miss. Edmunds — which this young reader considered was the worst part to stop, considering what happens afterward; but, she wasn't going to leave Mike hanging. He was her friend. She doesn't let her friends struggle.

Jane stuck the colorful bookmark Will made her in the book and shut it, pushing it aside.

"Okay, what's the question?"  
She asked as Mike fiddled with his pencil, staring at the textbook pages.

He slid the textbook over to her and he pointed at the question. Number seven.

"Mike, you just have to solve for X. Split the number in half, I think," she spoke quietly, pushing the textbook back to him.

"Oh. I knew that" Mike said while leaning over the table to jot his answers down on his sheet of paper.

Jane picked her book back up and set it in her book bag hanging on the back of her orange chair.

"You should do your homework at home like you're supposed to."  
Jane stated, zipping up her bag and turning to face Mike.

"Yeah, right. Who does that anymore?"

"I do. I can't do anything else until it's finished."

"What else do you do?"

"I get to read."

Mike nods in response. He didn't know the full extent of what it was like at Jane's, for some of her home life is quite a mystery. All he understood was she lived with both her parents and always had to be home right after school unless there was the odd time she needed to use the library, in which those times both him and Will were there to accompany her.

Jane was a very passionate student. She enjoyed learning new things and was always very engaged in her classes — even if she wasn't very fond of the subject.

"Did you talk to your parents about AV club?"  
Mike questioned.

Jane shook her head. She didn't even bother asking; she knew the answer would be no. Her father was always the one that could compromise, willing to let her give things a shot; however, her mother, not so much.

The truth is, Jane wanted to be in AV club. She didn't know much about technology, but she knew her friends were always there.

"You should ask. We want you there."  
Mike said, smiling.

"Maybe," she shrugged, fixing her jacket.

"I'm going to start heading to class," Jane continues while standing up, causing her orange chair to move backward.

"It doesn't start for another ten minutes..."  
Mike responded, watching her put her bag on her shoulders.

Jane pushed her chair in against the table, after a million times of forgetting to do so. The librarian, Ms. Shauck, never failed to remind her. It's to a point where it now just came naturally, and every time she saw a chair that wasn't pushed in, she'd purposely stop and push it in; only so Ms. Shauck didn't have to.

"I like to take my time. I'll see you later, Mike."

She smiled and turned around, walking down the aisle towards the door; looking to her right to make sure the chairs were all neatly aligned with the tables.

Jane made her way to the door and leaned on it, pushing it open and letting it close behind her for no one else was leaving at the time.

She adjusted her bag, so it sat better on her shoulder as she walked alone through the crowded hallways. She was walking in the direction of her locker until she heard a loud bang of metal from behind her. The sound caused her to turn around instantly, where she laid her eyes on one of her best friends.

Will Byers was pushed up against the light blue lockers, her heart sped up as she started to quickly walk towards the scene.

"Hey... Hey!"  
She shouted at Troy as she got closer to the boys.

"Let him go, Troy," she stated sternly as she reached her destination; her brown eyes piercing holes into his own.

"What are you going to do about it, dweeb?"

He shot back, putting more of his weight onto Will; beads of sweat forming on his forehead from the pressure and overall nervousness.

"Get bent dirtbag, or I'm going to have to send a complaint," she snapped, crossing her arms, still staring the boy down.

She overheard the blonde next to Troy whisper something in his ear, "dude, her dad is the chief."

At that, Troy hesitantly let Will down with an extra shove, quickly getting up in his face, he shoved his pointer finger into his chest, "I'm not done with you, Byers."

He backed away, looking directly at Jane. "Next time, mind your own business, Hopper."

He spat, shoving past her; using his shoulder to bump her out of his way.

"Mouthbreathers," she mumbled under her breath as she watched them leave. Once they were out of sight, she turned directly to Will who was still catching his breath.

She stood next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, as her attempt at comforting the boy: "Are you okay?"

Will nodded silently, "yeah, I'm okay. Thank you."

"They're jerks."

Will nodded once again, at that time the bell rang indicating the next class was about to start.  
"Walk with me to class?"  
He asked her, picking his bag up off the floor.

"Of course, always." she smiled at the boy, picking her bag up and swinging it over her shoulder.

Crowds were something both Jane and Will weren't very fond of. The two of them always purposely walked to class early to avoid the rush they face after lunch hour, but being Troy interrupted their timeline; they're walking against the herd of students, practically hugging the walls.

Once they reached their History class, Jane let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She looked over at Will, who seemed more relaxed; like he was suddenly filled with a sense of safety. The atmosphere of the half-empty classroom comforting the both of them.

The two friends took their seats. Will sat at the front of the classroom, in the second row – Jane sat right behind him.

Will turned around, putting his shoulder on her desk; leaning his head on his hand.

"Where were you at lunch?"  
Will asked, genuinely curious. It was only the odd time the two weren't together during the lunch hour. Jane knew that he was busy with Dustin, working on their science project in the lab

"I was in the library with Mike."

Will nodded, "homework?"

Jane shook her head, "Mike was doing math. I was reading."

She replied as she pulled her history textbook out of her bag and placed it on her desk. People continued to pile into the classroom, though neither of them paid any attention.

"Reading what?"

"Bridge to Terabithia.

The bell rang for the second time, interrupting their conversation.

"Really? Again?" He asked, his voice laced with disbelief, his shocked expression caused Jane to giggle.

"Yes. You know it's one of my favorites," she stated happily.

Will smiled and nodded, agreeing with her statement.

Just then, their teacher walked into the classroom. Will turned around and faced the front; the two of them ready to learn.

"Alright class, settle down," their teacher, Mr. Hart stated.

The class slowly quieted down, conversations coming to a stop.

He continued: "Now, what important historical event happened in 1920? We discussed this last-"

"Sorry, I'm late,"  
Lucas interrupted as he scurried into the classroom, causing everyone to turn around and look into the direction of the door – being it is at the back of the room.

"Mr. Sinclair. Nice of you to join us. Why are we late this time?" The teacher asked as Lucas took his seat in the row next to Jane.

Will covered his mouth, holding back a snicker.

Lucas shrugged, "I had something to take care of."

Jane looked back at Lucas, shaking her head at him, silently giving him hell.

Mr. Hart sighed, "I'm sure you did. Next time, it's detention."

Lucas nodded in understanding, hanging his backpack on the back of his chair.

"Okay," Mr. Hart picked up where he left off. "1920s. We discussed this last Friday, does anyone remember?"

The entire class was silent, except for the odd shuffle coming from the back of the classroom, it sounded like footsteps. Though no one cared to look back to see who entered the room, being they were all trying to rack their brains – in fact, no one moved a muscle until Jane shot her hand up. The teacher called on her,

"The 19th amendment was passed. Women were granted the right to vote," she stated proudly.

"Correct,"

"Are you going to tell us why?"  
A voice from the back chimed in, causing Jane to turn around.

"What do you mean, why?"  
She asked, raising her eyebrows, though she wasn't too phased. She knew what was coming.

"Why women were allowed to vote. They're meant to spend their time in the kitchen anyway. They won't even have to face authority if they're where they belong," he answered.

Jane's jaw nearly dropped; the audacity of this 15-year-old was repulsive.

"You wouldn't have to face authority either if you were where you belong; in the trash," she stated angrily, turning around to face the front and crossing her arms.

"That was uncalled for, Kevin. And Jane, language," Mr. Hart stated.

Kevin rolled his eyes, he opened up his mouth to speak until Lucas interrupted him, "I suggest you don't say what's going through that tiny brain of yours."

Kevin shut his mouth, taking Lucas' suggestion; he then crossed his arms and stared at the back of Jane's head. His cheeks burning red with both anger and embarrassment, due to the defeat he just faced.

She was tapping her foot on the ground, it took every muscle in her body to not turn around and say anything else. Jane wasn't usually one to act on her anger, but when it came to anything involving the rights of another; she just wouldn't take it.

Mr. Hart began talking once again, but Jane tuned him out.

A folded white piece of paper was thrown onto her desk – breaking her out of her thoughts.

She opened it up, it read:  
"You got fire. I like it. Don't let him get to you, he's a ditz."

Jane took note of the neat handwriting, she liked it. She read the note twice then flipped it over, looking for a name – though a name couldn't be found.

Jane folded the paper back up and stuck it in her jean jacket pocket to avoid Mr. Hart calling her out about passing notes again.

Jane was no longer focused on her annoyance towards Kevin, but more on who sent the note.


	2. Soon.

Jane loved the color pink. A baby pink, to be specific. Sure, pink was a 'stereotypical' girl color, but she loved it for many different reasons.

To Jane, pink symbolizes love and tranquility; which is all she ever wishes for. It's usually a very soft color, it reminds her of sweet cotton candy, bubble gum, and cream soda; her favorite sugary beverage. As a child, her walls were painted a light pink. The color evokes feelings of comfort paired with the sweet memories of her father rocking her to sleep and eventually reading her stories as she grew older; specifically, Madeline. Her room is where she would go when she was scared or nervous. Her dad would often quickly follow to make sure she was alright and felt safe. Pink was her safe color.

She smiled at these thoughts as she fiddled around with a pastel pink heart-shaped pin she used to have stuck on her jacket.

"Jane,"

Her head shot up at the sound of Dustin's voice, for the sudden noise startled her.

"You okay?"

Jane nodded timidly, "I'm good."

The truth is, despite the fact they were most definitely good memories, it was something Jane missed. She hasn't seen a-lot of her father lately and it doesn't sit very well with her.

She gave herself a mental shake and stood up, leading Dustin out of the now empty classroom.

"Do you know where Will is?"

She looked at Dustin, he shrugged.

Jane was suddenly overwhelmed with anxiousness; her nerves were biting the back of her brain. Considering what happened earlier with Troy, she was worried about Will.

The two friends headed towards the front doors -- Jane slightly quicker -- to find the three boys chatting around the bikes. Jane let out a sigh of relief once she knew Will was alright.

Mike was first to notice the two, "hey guys,"

Dustin ran up to the boys and instantly got into a detailed conversation with Will, about his plans for their science project they recently started.

Jane walked up to Mike and Lucas, she often rushes home, but today she was carefree.

"Queen of Hawkins middle has arrived, you had Kevin buggin' for the rest of the day," Lucas joked.

Jane smiled at Lucas' comment and shrugged, "can't just stand by."

She turned to Mike, "you get that assignment in, Michael?"

"Stop calling me Michael," he stated, taking a pause between each word solely to emphasize.

"Sorry Michael,"

He jokingly rolled his eyes, "I got it in," he answered.

"Good,"

Dustin approached her and the other boys, leaving Will by the wall.

They began to discuss dungeons and dragons, which left Jane only slightly uninterested.

She left the group of boys and approached the lonely brunette, "walk home with me?"

Will nodded silently.

They said their goodbyes to the other three and started walking. The two of them live about six minutes apart from each other.

The two close friends walked in silence for awhile, until Jane broke the ice: "You're never this quiet. What's wrong?"

"Some things are just... a little foggy you know?" Will said quietly, looking down at his two-year-old blue vans; shoving his small hands in his pockets. "My feelings..."

"I get what you're saying, I think," Jane said quietly.

"You-you do?"

"I do...what are your foggy feelings?"

Will stayed silent for a few seconds, which she took as a hint. He wasn't ready to talk about it.

"I won't make you. Know I'm here to talk about it when you're ready," Jane told him, trying to once again comfort him as much as she could.

"Thanks, J,"

"You're welcome," she said, also putting her hands in her pockets.

It was quiet once again, but it was a comfortable silence. The crisp air smelling of fresh rain and pine; with the few puddles in the dip separating the sidewalk and the road.

"I'll um...see you tomorrow?" Jane said, once they reached the turnoff to Will's place.

"You bet," he smiled and turned down his street.

Jane was then left alone with her thoughts for the rest of the way home. She wondered first of all if she would even see her father at all today. Lately, he claims to have had a lot of cases that keeps him at work all night. In a small town like Hawkins, there doesn't seem to be much going on; but it's like he always finds a reason to stay at work. That being said, she was a little bit skeptical -- but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Once she reached her house, she slowly turned the knob, taking a deep breath in beforehand — not knowing for sure what type of mood her mother was in.

"Jane? Is that you?" She heard her mother's voice call from what she thought was the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's me," she replied, putting her bag down by the door and hanging her damp rain jacket up in the closet in the foyer.

"You have homework tonight?"

Jane walked into the kitchen, "no, when is papa coming home?"

Jane's mother grabbed a plate from the sink, reached up and put it in the cupboard. She then looked at her daughter, "I don't know."

"I miss him."

"Of course, you do," she said in a flat tone.

Jane sighed and turned around, mentally rolling her eyes at her stuck-up mother.

She slowly trudged up the stairs and went straight into her bedroom; where she was greeted with her pink walls.

Once again, she was overwhelmed with feelings of nostalgia. She took her jean jacket off and hung it on her chair, also removing her jeans and replacing them with old sweatpants.

She sat on her bed and stared at the phone she had hooked up in her bedroom; debating whether or not she should dial her father's number. She knew that if she were caught on the phone, she would be in trouble; being her mother's calls always had priority over hers.

Next to the phone, sat the infamous Madeline.

 

_Jane rushed into her bedroom and shut the door behind her, instantly climbing under the covers. She was safe there. Nothing could hurt her._

_She sat and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her head on her arms. She was startled by a knock on the door, "sweetheart? It's papa, can I come in?"_

_Jane sat silently, not saying a word. She heard her door slowly open and shut, she knew he was in the room; he carried a stench of firewood, which Jane always loved._

_"Honey, can you come out from under there?"_

_He asked. The end of Jane's bed sunk once he sat down._

_Jane lifted her head and hesitantly straightened her legs out, pulling down her covers. Her face was greeted with a chill, all the heat was trapped underneath the blanket._

_She scooted up and leaned against the headboard, looking her father in the eyes, waiting for him to speak first._

_"I know storms are scary, nothing is going to come and get you," he said quietly._

_He stood up and went towards her bookshelf; pulling Madeline out from the middle, then walking over to her bedside._

_Jane moved over and looked at him expectantly. He then sat down next to her, swinging his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his chest as he cracked the book open._

_Her father then began to read to her. When she was with him, she felt safe. She knew nothing could touch her if her father was there with her. Thunder would crash, causing her to jump; he would only then pull her closer to him._

_By the time the story was over, Jane was nearly put to sleep. She would wake up hours later, and he would still be there with her. The next morning, he would have many cramps in his back; but he wouldn't even care because he knew his little girl felt protected._

 

Jane took a deep breath, wiping her tears as they built up in her eyes. The memory most indefinitely tugging at her heartstrings, making her miss him even more.

She picked up the phone and carefully dialed her father's number. She didn't care if her mom was awaiting a call.

It rung once,  
Twice,  
Three times,

And after the fourth ring, she heard her fathers comforting voice.

"Papa?" she choked out, bunching her blanket up in her fists; squeezing it tightly.

"Hey kiddo," he replied, Jane could hear the smile in his voice.

"I miss you," she smiled at the sound of his voice, but still sounded undeniably upset; torn at the fact she can't see him.

"I miss you too. I'm sorry I've been away,"

"I haven't seen you in two weeks," she wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to hold herself together.

"I know... I've been away for too long. I'll see you soon though, okay?" he stated, his words laced with hope.

"When... When is soon?"  
Jane asked, pulling her knees up to her chest just as she did when she was little.

"Just, soon," he stated flatly.

Jane sighed, she hated that word. It was too open and never gave the answers she wanted, but she knew she wasn't going to get him to say anything different, "okay. Soon."

"I have to get back to work kid, I love you. I'll see you very soon," he responded, his voice cracking at the end.

"Very soon. I love you too, Papa," she said, emphasizing the word 'very.'

The call ended, she placed her phone back on it's hook and let tears roll down her face. She knew he wasn't just working, there was more to it than just that.  
She laid her head down on her pillow; her fresh tears staining her pillowcase, leaving a small wet-patch.

She reached her hand out and turned her lamp off, before getting herself under her covers. It was still early, but all she wanted to do right now was sleep. She honestly didn't know the next time she was going to see her father and she didn't want to stay up thinking about it.

She also recognized it had something to do with her mother, considering how cold she was when asked about him.  
Quiet sobs could be heard from outside her bedroom door until she drifted off to sleep; hoping to face happier times in her dreams.


	3. Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a late update,,, i was going through some stuff but i'mmm back !!
> 
> i hope to have the next chapter up asap!!!  
> hope you're enjoying it so far :)

When Jane woke up the next morning, her eyes were on fire; as if hot toothpicks were poking at them. The skin directly under her eyes felt like marshmallows due to her sadness the night before.

She let out a deep groan when she looked at the clock, reading six am. She wasn't tired, due to the fact she went to sleep at six yesterday evening, giving her a full twelve hours of rest.

Jane sat up, throwing her comforter off and placing her feet on the ground. It was cold; sending a tingling sensation through her toes, giving her legs tiny little goosebumps.

She walked over to her window and opened it, letting the crisp autumn breeze flow through her bedroom, the air still smelling freshly of rainfall.

She stood by her window, admiring the pigment of the leaves on the trees in front of her house. There were shades of red, orange and yellow showing a motley of colors. Autumn was her favorite time of the year.

Besides the beauty nature brings in, Thanksgiving is a great time. Jane's mother often left Hawkins to spend it with her side of the family, leaving Jane with her father. The one time Jim attempted to make a small dinner for the two, he ultimately burnt the turkey to a charred crisp. So, Joyce invited the pair to have dinner with them the next day. From then on, it became a tradition to have Thanksgiving dinner with the Byers family, where she got to spend more time with Will. Truly spending it with the people she loved the most.

She walked back to her bed, sitting down on the edge of it, furthermore messing up her sheets. She leaned back, throwing her body against her soft mattress. Staring at the ceiling, connecting the stray dots on her roof; creating her own constellations.

She was interrupted by the loud beeping of her alarm clock; 6:30 -- when she was initially supposed to wake.

Jane sighed as she once again brought herself to her feet. She turned around and began making her bed, straightening out her sheets and puffing up her pillow; neatly placing her brown teddy bear, which she named Charlie, in the middle of her bed. If she recalls correctly, it was the bear Will gave her for her birthday two years ago. She's nearly grown out of stuffed animals, but she adores Charlie and will never abandon him.

Jane bent down, picking a pair of socks up out of the bin underneath her bed. They were nearly too small for her, but she wasn't about to ask her mother for a few new pairs.

She slid them on, standing back up to change into her blue pair of overalls, putting on a white, red and brown striped long-sleeve underneath. She pulled some of the pins she had on her jacket and stuck her favorites onto her left suspender, which consisted of the small pink heart pin and the pink Pac-Man ghost.

Admiring herself in the mirror, she made sure her shirt was tucked in and straightened out her suspenders. She took another deep breath, standing on her tippy toes.

Her feet were back flat on the floor. She grabbed her book and quickly, but quietly, made her way outside her room.

She was careful not to wake her mother. For she didn't have to get up as early as Jane did, her mother wasn't a morning person. She swiftly grabbed her bedroom door and turned the knob — so it wouldn't make a click when it shut — while pulling it close from the outside, and letting go of the knob.

She tiptoed down the stairs, her hand running down her old banister, her hand being lightly scratched by the flakes of brown paint peeling off of the wood.

While slipping her black converse shoes on, she grabbed her backpack that was left on the floor where she left it. Checking to make sure she had her house key in the front pocket; she stepped outside, once again greeted by the gentle breeze, causing the goosebumps to rise on the back of her neck.

She let her door shut behind her; with a slight slam, she winced at the noise, having that feeling it may have woken up her mother.

Jane shrugged the fact off, took a deep breath, and began walking down her dirt driveway and the concrete sidewalk towards Will's.

Jane walked up the steps up onto the Byers' porch and knocked with her signature knock. It was something she always did.

Joyce answered the door with a smile, "Good morning sweetie, come in."

She said softly, moving out of the way so she could walk inside. Jane kicked her shoes off at the door and set them nicely with the rest.

"Will!" Joyce yelled, facing the hallway. Turning back around to face Jane, who was sitting at their dining table.

"Did you sleep well?" Joyce asked while drying her dishes.

Joyce knew more about Jane than her own mother did. Joyce knew that Jane had those odd restless nights; sprinkled with strange dreams, even though that wasn't the current case.

"It could have been better," Jane replied honestly, crossing her arms and placing them on the tabletop in front of her. Jane decided not to give Joyce all the details about how things went last night and about how her father hasn't been home, she didn't want her to worry. But, due to Joyce's motherly instincts, she knew Jane was unhappy.

"Is everything okay?" Joyce asked, sitting across from her at the table.

Jane nodded silently, Joyce hesitantly accepting the response; she didn't want to push.

Jane heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and she looked over to see Will walking towards the two.

It was about 7 am; the two didn't have to be at school until 8:30.

"Either of you hungry?" Joyce asked, standing up to walk towards the fridge as Will sat down next to Jane.

Jane shook her head no, as did Will shortly after.

Joyce sighed, "breakfast is important you two, eat up." She placed two home-made chocolate chip muffins in front of the two, rubbing Will's head in an attempt to mess up his hair.

The two started picking at their muffins, only taking little bits at a time. Joyce then left the kitchen; likely to go and talk to Jonathan.

Will was picking some of the chocolate chips out of the top of his muffin, "so, y-your dad come home?" he asked quietly, putting the chocolate chips he's plucked out into his mouth.

Jane shook her head no, "I... I did talk to him though."

"How'd that go?"

Jane shrugged, she wasn't up to talking about it; Will knew that, so he left it.

Jonathan then trudged out of his bedroom into the kitchen solely to pour himself a cup of lemon tea, then slowly walking back down the hall, not even acknowledging the two at the table.

"Is he okay?" Jane asked before tossing a chunk of her muffin in her mouth.

"He's a little sick," Will answered.

Jane nodded in understanding but was concerned. Jonathan was nearly always up before Will, he loved the lighting early in the mornings, tried to capture the sunrise as often as he could. He must be very sick; nothing could stop him from taking those opportunities.

Jonathan was like an older brother to Jane, of course, not like he is to Will, but the two were fairly close. She felt at home with the Byers'. Every photograph on her wall was taken by Jonathan and whenever she was over, he made sure to show her all the pictures he took. Jane loved all art forms, even though she didn't carry a lot of talent herself.

Joyce came back out, opening up the fridge and pulling out two brown paper lunch bags.

"Cheese single for you," she said placing the bag in front of Will,

"And peanut butter and jelly for you," she continued, placing another in front of Jane.

"Thanks, but I am ok, I don't need it," Jane stated.

"Did you bring a lunch with you?" Joyce asked, raising her eyebrows.

Jane shook her head no. Joyce instantly replied, "then yes, you need it. It's strawberry jelly, your favorite."

"Thank you, Joyce," Jane said quietly.

Jane always felt a little guilty. She never liked taking so much from Joyce; however, she also knew Joyce wouldn't ever take no for an answer – mainly because Joyce knew Jane needed it, and she was endlessly thankful for her generosity.

"You kids want a ride?" Joyce asked, grabbing her jacket from the closet.

"Yeah sure," Will said, pushing away from the table causing the chair to scrape against the floor.

Jane also stood up, grabbing her muffin off the table and bringing it along with her.

The ride there was both quick and silent. They spent more time than usual at the Byers' home, so when they arrived at the school they were nearly late. The two of them hopped out of the car simultaneously as Joyce shouted her goodbyes and 'be safe' out the window.

Jane is walking ahead of Will, he jogs to catch up to her pace. The fact that Science was their first period just hit Jane over the top of the head. That day, their teacher was checking the progress of the projects. Jane hasn't even started.

"Hey, Will how's that project going?" Jane asked, she wasn't sure if she more hoped they were in the same position so she wouldn't go down alone; or if they were started, so they wouldn't go down at all.

"We almost have the frame, you?" Will responded, opening the front doors, allowing Jane to go in ahead of him.

"Thanks. And, not quite the same pace," Jane stated, taking a left towards their science class; Will following close behind.

The two rushed to their class, Jane walked to the back of the room where she usually sat. The classroom held eight tables, evenly distributed with four on one side and four on the other. Two people were sat at one table, Jane usually was sat next to Lucas but due to the projects they were currently working on the seating arrangement changed a little bit.

Will and Dustin were working together on a volcano; paper Mache, of course. Their wire flame was set on the table in front of them. Mike and Lucas were working together on a Film Cannister Rocket. Basically, just trying to make this orange thing explode. Jane suggested they just show the reaction between Mentos and Coca-Cola and give an explanation as to why it happened and it's still a fairly decent explosion; but, knowing them, they were ready for a challenge.

Jane chose to work by herself. She often enjoyed being able to have her own timeline, never had to invite people to her house and was never short on deadlines, until now. So, the seat next to her was an empty one, but she really didn't mind too much.

Their teacher was a very understanding woman, unlike some of the other teachers, her classmates have bumped heads with. She offered to allow a group of three so Jane could work with someone, but she was set on doing the solar system. Jane loved space, she thought the idea of it was so fascinating.

The bell rang, signaling everyone should be in their classes by now. Jane took a deep breath, putting her books on the ground. She wasn't prepared. She didn't have any of her paint or her wires. Will offered to let her use their Mache, but she doesn't have her balloons along with her either.

Their teacher, Mrs. Ward, walked her way down the aisles to see everyone's progress. Jane anxiously tapped her fingers on the table as her teacher approached her. She looked up and smiled at the science woman, her black hair tied back into a ponytail, her eyes trailing to the empty table.

"Nothing, Jane?"

Jane shook her head.

"Not like you, everything okay?"

Jane nodded once again in response, not being able to get any words out, swallowing the rock in her throat. She felt bad for not being complete, she loved Mrs. Ward, loved science and hated to see her disappointed.

"Do you have anything with you to get started?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'll get some done tonight and bring it in tomorrow, I promise." Jane spat out quickly, still playing with her fingers.

"I trust that you will, Ms. Hopper. I do have a job for you then, come with me." Mrs. Ward said as she began walking towards the front of the classroom.

Jane pushed herself away from the table, causing the stool to screech against the floor. She hopped off and quickly followed her science teacher, giving a glance over at Will who looked at her questionably. Jane shrugged as a response, speed-walking out of the classroom for her teacher got a head start.

Jane followed Mrs. Ward down the hallway, leading her to the office. Jane began to get anxious; her hands were sweating and her chest was tight. What if she got a phone home because she wasn't started? Spend time in the office for coming unprepared? Her mind was racing with all the possible things that could happen to her when she entered that room.

Mrs. Ward opened the door and stepping aside so Jane could walk in. Jane looked up at her, Mrs. Ward knew she was nervous; so, she threw a smile in her direction and whispered, "you're not in trouble sweetie."

Jane then looked forward and dragged her feet into the office, taking a seat beside the door. Her teacher followed her in, "Just wait here a second." Jane nodded and put her hands on her lap.

Her teacher turned the corner and opened another door. Jane assumed it was the principal's private office. She overheard her teacher speaking, "I have someone to show you around,"

Jane heard another voice respond, but it was too muffled for her to understand. Her teacher then stood in front of Jane and out came a girl with red hair; freckles were scattered over the bridge of her nose and underneath her warm, kind blue eyes. She was dressed in a yellow sweater, Jane thought it was a pretty color on her; it reminded her of the sun.

"Jane, this is a new student, Maxine." Mrs. Ward said, looking in the direction of the red-haired girl just as she interrupted, "Max." She huffed, blowing a loose strand of hair she had over her face.

"Sorry. Max." The teacher corrected herself. "This is Jane, she's going to show you around."

Max nodded, gripping the skateboard she had in her left hand, shyly smiling at Jane and using her free hand to tuck some hair behind her ear.

Jane smiled back, standing up as Mrs. Ward left the room, leaving the two standing in the office with the secretary who was busily typing on her computer.

"Cool skateboard," Jane said, glancing at the red skateboard she held in her hands.

"Thanks," Max replied, looking up at Jane. "Cute buttons," she complimented, looking at the two small pins Jane had stuck to her suspenders.

"Thank you," Jane said quietly, slightly trailing off, becoming distracted by the secretary sitting behind Max at her desk, who was now currently on the phone, sounding slightly concerned.

Jane snapped herself out of it, she had a job to do. "So, um, to start, this is the office!" Jane said excitedly, successfully joking with the bright girl standing across from her.

"Wow," Max giggled, "great place. Anything else?"

She smiled, lightly chewing on her lip.

"Hawkins is small, but, yeah there's more. Come on," Jane smiled back, leading her new friend out of the school office, the door closing behind them with a loud slam; both of them slightly jumping a little, then laughing about how easily they were scared.

"Let's find your locker first and go from there," Jane stated, earning a hopeful nod from Max.

"Please, I know where nothing is," she pleaded, once again readjusting her grip on her skateboard.

"And I can fix that," the brunette said proudly, starting down the hallway with the ginger following very closely behind her.


	4. New Girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after roughly seven months i know. i'm sorry. if you're lost, just read the last lil' bit of the chapter prior, sigh.

Jane shoved her hands in her pockets, slowly walking alongside her newfound friend.

Jane learned today in this short time, Max has a terrible memory. The two spent a good ten minutes on trying to unlock her locker. Not only did she continuously forget the combination, due to distraction, but always ended up spinning it the wrong way.

Once they finally bust it open; Max threw her skateboard in her locker. Hands free and alsp in her pockets, walking beside Jane. Conversation has been on fire since they left the office.

"So, what was it like in California?" Jane asked, raising her brow. She's read about California and has come across few photographs; she knows it is a very beautiful place, sun always shining, but her herself always preferred a chillier climate. Jane liked her jackets.

Max shrugged, "it was California. It gets so much hype, but it got boring."

"Unfortunately, you're out of luck here. Nothing ever happens."

"Aw come on, nothing?" Max says, pushing a little. Max was a very adventurous girl. She always wanted to try new things, her curiosity consistently running wild.

Jane shook her head. The two walked in silence for a short few seconds, until Jane burst the bubble once again.

"Do you have your schedule with you?"

Max nodded, patting her pockets. She reached into her jacket pocket pulling out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it over to Jane. She leans it up against the wall and flattens it out, smoothing out the wrinkles as best she can.

Her eyes slowly scanned over the paper; noting she had science which is now and History with the ginger.

"Hey look, we have History together too. Awesome." Jane turns and smiles at her, looking back at the wrinkly sheet of paper.

"Yeah I know," Max stated nonchalantly. Jane furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at Max, "you know?"

Max froze, heat was running up to her cheeks: "No, no I didn't know we had the... the class together, I meant I know it will be... awesome."  
Max stuck her hands in her pockets, standing straight as a board.

Jane knew she was acting weird without a hint as to why, but she figured it could just be paired along with the nervousness of being in a new place. Therefore, she let it go.

"Okay so, I'll show you where your math room is next it thats okay?" Jane asked, folding up the once wrinkled piece of paper nicely and handing it back to Max, who nodded in response.

Max continued to fidget with the paper that Jane gave her; folding it as small as she can along with spinning it around and flicking the edges.

"What about the people?" Max spat out.

Jane furrowed her eyebrows, still face-forward, "what do you mean?"

Max shrugged. Jane pondered for a moment, then continued: "There are groups of people. Stereotypes exist here. You got the nice people and the not-so-nice people. I'll introduce you to my friends, if you'd like."

Max nodded, "Yeah I'd like that."

"Also," Jane looked at Max, "they ARE all boys. My entire friend group is just the AV club. It's just how things worked out. Big science-y nerds."

"As are you though," Max giggled, "in a good way. I'm not a huge fan of school but, science is tolerable. I like it. Especially when I get to blow stuff up."

Jane smiled, "then they'll like you." She stated as she thought back to the science projects they were all currently working on in the classroom, wondering how successful they've been at getting their explosions in line.

"What about you, brothers? Sisters?" Jane asked, Max tensed up at the question, but, gave an answer anyways.

"Yeah I guess, step-brother. His name is Billy."

Jane nodded, "I'm an only child."

"I might as well be," Max remarked, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Only person in my family I can tolerate is my mom,"

Jane sighed, "Opposite. My dad is..." She trailed off, taking a few extra steps before continuing, "I haven't seen him in awhile, but it's hell without him. I just hope I can see him soon."

Max nodded, "I hope you see him soon too,"

Jane looked at Max who gave her a small smile and nodded.

The two of them circled back around the school to the science room, where they stood outside the door for a short while.

"So, Jane, what in class was so awful that you'd offer to show around the new kid?" Max asks, leaning herself against the wall outside the classroom.

"They're working on their projects. I forgot all my stuff at home so I couldn't work on it. I won't lie, it wasn't by choice but I'm glad I got to show you around," Jane smiled, straightening out her suspenders.

Max nodded, "I'm glad you did too," she chewed on her lip and looked down at her red sneakers.

As if on cue, their teacher came out of the classroom.

"Oh perfect, I was just going to go look for you two," she exclaimed once she laid eyes on the both of them. "Everyone is just tidying up."

Jane nodded and thought for a few moments before making her offer, "wait, how do you feel about space?"

Max shrugged, "it's cool I guess."

Jane nodded and turned to her teacher, "is it okay if I maybe don't work alone? You know, on the project."

Ms. Ward smiled, "well it is intended to be a partner project."

Jane grinned and looked at Max, "I'm working-" she stopped herself, "well, I'm going to work on a model of the solar system, if you're interested."

Max nodded, "yeah for sure, I'm in," genuinely just excited to be able to spend time with Jane.

'Alright then, I'll put you two down," Ms. Ward stated, ushering the girls into the classroom.

  
••

  
Jane walked alongside Will down the crowded halls, clutching the lunch bag Joyce gave her this morning.

"No, she was really nice."

She stated, talking to Will about the new girl.

"Really?" Will asked, looking over at Jane.

Jane rolled her eyes, "yes, really,"

Will nodded, the rest of the walk was silent until they hit the cafeteria. Both of them hated the cafeteria. It was crowded, noisy, and Will always thought it smelt funny.

The two of them sat at the table with Mike. Will sat across from Mike and next to Jane. "So, the new girl," Mike asked, the second they sat down.

Jane sighed, being she already went over it with Will, "she's cool. I like her," Jane smiled. She felt Will get a little tense next to her, but she didn't think much of it. Both Dustin and Lucas joined them in short time.

Jane scanned the cafeteria looking for Max but was unable to pick her out of the crowd; if she was in it, that is.

Dustin sat across from Jane and Lucas right next to him, "hey Jane, I was wondering..."

"Can it, Hendersen," she cut him off, knowing he was about to ask about Max. He threw his hands up defensively, "alright, alright sorry."

Jane felt a little bad, she didn't mean for it to sound rude if it did; in defense, she was grumpy, hungry and overtired. Jane thought to just apologize later.

She turned towards the door again, landing her eyes on the bright yellow shirt. She shot her hand up and waved, catching Max's attention. She began to walk in their direction and Jane turned around.

"Get to know her yourself instead of trying to wring me out for answers," Jane joked, opening her paper bag. She pulled out the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Will's mother gave to her that morning.

Max made her way to their table and sat down on the other side of Jane. Jane turned and smiled at her, with her mouth closed of course; for it was full of the sandwich.

"Peanut butter is so good but it is so darn sticky," Jane states after she swallows, rubbing her tongue against the roof of her mouth to get the remains of the peanut butter off.

Will smiled at her comment as he munched on the apple his mom also threw in his bag.

"So," Jane started. She looked across the table at Dustin and Lucas who were giving Max a sort of stare down; not in a creepy way, just more of... a daze. Jane looked to her right and saw her slowly unwrapping her lunch. Jane reached her hand over the table and snapped in the boys' faces, "she's a person, boys."

They both took their attention off the freckled face and looked at Jane, "sorry," they said simultaneously. Jane looked over at Mike who was giving her no attention whatsoever. She sensed a little bit of discomfort but she shrugged it off.

"Considering she was the talk of the table it's weird everyone is so silent," Jane states, putting her sandwich crusts in the Ziploc bag.

Jane sighed. "Alright, this is Max, obviously. Max, this is Lucas and Dustin. Mind their manners," she stated, gesturing towards the two boys who were previously making Max's skin crawl.

They smiled at her, Dustin shoved chocolate pudding in his mouth afterward. He offered Max a pudding cup but she declined, he then threw it over at Lucas.

"That's Mike," Jane continued. He looked up and plastered a quick, fake smile on his face and went back to his food. Jane leaned over and whispered into Max's ear, "he's moody sometimes, don't worry about him," to which Max nodded and pulled another couple grapes out of her Ziploc bag.

"And finally," Jane leaned back so she could see, "my best friend, Will," he greeted her with a dorky smile as he threw his apple core in the brown paper bag.

"Cool, nice to meet you guys I guess," Max smiled, her eyes roaming around the table. "What do you guys do here for fun?" She asked, hoping to start conversation.

"Arcade, usually." Lucas states, cracking open the pudding cup that Dustin gave him a little while ago.

"If you're into that," Dustin adds.

Max nods, "yeah for sure."

"Biking?" Lucas questioned. Will and Mike were attending to their lunches, while Jane was listening in.

"I prefer skating," Max leaned onto the table infront of her, arms folded.

Lucas and Dustin exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Come to the arcade with us after school?" Dustin asked, which immediately caught Mike's attention. He looked over at the two boys, while Max answered hesitantly with "yeah sure, why not."

Mike rolled his eyes and looked down at the table. Jane was sure no one else noticed, she was clearly the most observant of the group.

Jane crumpled up her bag and stood up, walking it over to the garbage bin. She wondered what was up with Mike, and why he seemed so agitated.

The bell rang, signaling the lunch period was over. Jane turned around, she was going to try and catchup with Mike but he was already gone.

Everyone else was still at the table, Lucas, Max and Dustin were still in conversation while Will was looking into the crowd of people; Jane assumed it was the direction Mike went in.

Jane walked up and stood by Will, she leaned over and said quietly, "what's up with Mike?"

Will shrugged, "I don't know." He looked over at Jane.

"Invite him to the library after school," Jane said, throwing her bag over her shoulder so she could start to her locker.

Will responded, "I think he's going with them to the arcade."

It was then that it clicked for Jane, she opened her mouth and then stopped. She stood for a few seconds, and looked back at Will, "ask him anyway. I'll meet you in History, I have to talk to Ms. Ward."

Will nodded, slowly turning the other direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i s u c k at ending chapters. n, i knOw my updates for this have been terrible, a whole ass seven months and i am so so sorry ?? the only excuse i have is school, and it should be self explanatory for the most part. along with that i've been lacking inspiration and connection, so i need to do a quick rewatch and keep this story moving. if you stuck around, thank you! i apologize !!! idk what else to say but, if this doesn't start to flop you'll see me again before august.


	5. soda

Jane’s visit with her science teacher was a short one. It could’ve waited until the next day if she didn’t actually plan to work on the project tonight.  
She hoped to get a head-start – in her mind anyway – and talk to Max tomorrow about how they are going to split the assignment.  
  
The science room wasn’t too far from her History class, so it wasn’t much of a journey. Jane stood in the doorway and took in her surroundings; she wasn’t used to being one of the last students there.  
  
She stepped foot in the classroom and walked to her seat; catching the attention of Kevin, who she shot a quick glare at and sat down. Will was staring at the paper in front of him… which was blank.  
  
Jane tapped him on the shoulder, after a couple taps he turned to face her.  
  
“What are you doing?” Jane asked quietly, as the noise level of the classroom went down significantly since Mr. Hart walked in.  
  
Will choked on his words – he opened his mouth and nothing came out.  
  
“R-reading over my notes,” he eventually spat out.  
  
Jane looked over his shoulder once again just to clarify: “Will, there’s nothing on the paper.”  
  
Will turned to look at the empty sheet of lined paper on his desk, “oh…yeah, I guess you’re right,” he started turning back to face Jane.  
  
“What’s bothering you?” Jane asked as her heart clenched, she was unsure about how Will was feeling and she didn’t like it. She knew he was having a rough few days and she couldn’t really understand why.  
  
Will shrugged and turned to face the front – perfect timing too because that’s when the bell rang.  
  
Mr. Hart stood at the front of the room, his hands were clasped in front of his stomach.  
“Mr. Sinclair, on-time. What a pleasant surprise,” he joked, looking in Lucas’ direction.  
  
“I’ve taken a liking to proper punctuality,” he stated, rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves.  
  
Behind him now sat Max, who was holding in a chuckle.  
  
Jane had the feeling that Lucas was just trying to show off to Max and she didn’t know how to feel about it. Lucas being on-time for History class is just unrealistic, everybody knows that…  
_‘proper punctuality my butt.’_  
  
The class went forward, continuing with their lesson. Jane usually enjoyed History but she was much too distracted. She couldn’t stop thinking about Mike and Will, for she was worried about how they were feeling.  
  
There were only two more periods left until the end of the day, which is when she planned to get Will to start talking. She just hopes Mike will show up, she thinks he needs some library time too.  
  
It was a sanctuary. For as quiet as the library was meant to be, the three of them enjoyed being there; especially after school hours, it was fairly empty and no one was there to tell them to "can it."  
  
This period was mostly a notes period; Mr. Hart would talk as the class would write jot-notes, so before she knew it, the bell was ringing and the class was over.  
Her next two classes flew by. They watched a tape in her psychology and her final period was just a catch-up day; she already completed the assignment so she had an hour to herself to read more of her book.  
  
When the bell rang, she sat for a few moments to let the majority of the kids leave before she did. She shoved her book in her backpack and looked up to see Dustin standing by the door, waiting for her.  
  
She slung her bag over her shoulders and walked towards the curly headed boy.  
  
“Are you going to come to the arcade?”  
He asked. Jane looked over at him, she found him amusing – she has never gone with them to the arcade. As much as she would like to, she just wasn’t usually allowed.  
  
“No, unfortunately not,” she sighed, gripping her straps.  
  
“So, it’s just going to be the three of us then,” Dustin said, sounding slightly disappointed.  
  
Jane took a moment, “three?”  
  
“Mike isn’t coming,”  
  
“Oh, why not?”  
  
Dustin shrugged. She hoped it wasn’t her fault that he wasn’t going, that is if Will actually asked him.  
  
“He kind of freaked out in gym class,” Dustin continued.  
  
The boys had Phys. Ed in their fifth period. She had to sit fairly close to Dustin in their sixth, so she was thankful he never carried much of an odor unlike some other boys did.  
“Over what?” Jane had to ask, she thought maybe he could give her some insight as to why he acted so strangely during lunch.  
  
“Beats me,” Dustin stated, taking a left. “I’ll see you later, Hopper.”  
  
Jane stood in one spot, watching Dustin walk out the doors. She pressed her lips together in a straight line and nearly got lost in thought until she remembered she was supposed to meet Will in the library at 3:40, it was 3:32.  
  
She walked past the cafeteria and saw the canteen was still open. She went digging through her pockets to find a dollar bill she must’ve washed a couple times.  
She walked up to the table and bought two cokes and a cream soda. She really liked the girl that worked there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she always seemed to have a smile on her face. Jane handed her the dollar bill and put the drinks in her backpack with a “thank you.”  
  
Jane started towards the library, she saw Will standing outside.  
  
“You didn’t have to wait for me, you know,” she said.  
  
“Yeah, but I like to,” he looked up at her after picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. He opened the door, moving out of the way, ushering Jane into the library.  
“What a gentleman,” she joked, taking the offer and walking into her favorite area of the school, “thank you.”  
  
Will’s cheeks turned crimson at Jane’s comment as he followed behind her.  
  
They sat down at the table near the window, where they always do. She sat her bag down and pulled out a coke, handing it to Will.  
  
“ _Don’t_ spill,” Jane cautioned, emphasizing the word ‘don’t’  
  
Will seemed to always manage to spill things, usually bumping it over on accident or leaving it too close to the edge of a table.  
  
“I’ll be careful, thanks,” he replied, opening the glass bottle and taking a sip, afterward placing it far back on the table against the window, so he wouldn’t hit it.  
Ms. Shauck acted as if she could trust Jane with the whole library, which is one of the only reasons Jane and her friends were allowed beverages inside.  
  
“So, you feeling better?” He seemed a little more at ease, but she had to make sure her best friend was okay.  
  
Will sighed, “I think so, it was stupid,”  
  
“Will, it’s not stupid. What happened?”  
  
“Mike was just… off. He ignored me when I asked him if he wanted to come here, it just bothered me I guess. He’s… never done that before.”  
Jane nodded in understanding, she probably would’ve felt the same way. Will was very sensitive, as was she.  
  
She knew Mike wasn’t going to the arcade, she thought maybe he just went home.  
  
That was until the two heard footsteps coming towards them.  
There was Mike, “seat taken?” he said, gesturing at the empty chair on the other side of the table.  
Jane shook her head no. Mike walked around the table and sat in the chair, his back facing the window.  
  
“Sorry Will,” were the first words that came out of his mouth.  
  
Will nodded, “it’s okay,”  
  
“What’s up with you?” Jane asked, shortly after reaching into her bag and pulling out the third drink, pushing it over to Mike.  
  
“Thanks…” he paused before he spoke again. “Max,”  
  
In a sense, Jane knew that he had a problem with the ginger. It was only when she came to the table that his mood shifted, but now she was curious to know why.  
Jane took a sip of her cream soda and looked at Mike, waiting for more of an explanation as Will did the same.  
  
“I don’t know. I like our group, she’s going to change it.”  
  
Jane sighed, “sometimes change is good, Mike. She seems friendly."  
  
“They invited her to play D &D on Saturday and told her about the AV club. Only after knowing her for a day,” he said after, downing some of his coke.  
  
“D&D? Who is she supposed to be?” Will jumped in.  
  
“Lucas told her she could be our sorcerer-“  
  
“Jane is our sorcerer.” Will didn’t let Mike finish his sentence.  
  
“Guys,” Jane interrupted, “I’ve only ever played like- twice.”  
  
“It doesn’t matter. You were going to come on Saturday, right?” Mike asked, fiddling with his bottle cap.  
  
Jane nodded. She wasn’t a big fan of the roleplaying game, but she liked spending time with her friends.  
  
“Therefore, it’s your role, Jane! I’m the Paladin, you’re the cleric” he said, looking at Will, and continued “Dustin is the bard, Lucas is our ranger and you’re the mage! There’s just no space.” Mike huffed, clearly frustrated.  
  
“Calm down, Mike. I’m sure Lucas is just trying to help her fit in,” Jane replied.  
  
“Disregarding how you’re feeling,” Mike mumbled.  
  
“I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, Mike. Give her a chance, okay? She seems pretty cool.”  
  
Mike sat silently for a moment and reluctantly agreed to give her a shot.  
  
“They need to ask next time though, it is my house,” Mike said, taking another drink of his coca cola.  
  
Will nodded in agreement, reaching for his coke bottle placed next to Mike. It was a little out of his reach, so Will tapped it to inch it closer to him.  
If Mike wasn’t sitting right there to stop it from tilting, before pushing it closer to Will, it would have dumped. Just as Jane thought it would.  
  
She shook her head and smiled at Will, “I told you!”  
  
“It didn’t spill!” He defended himself from further criticism for his clumsiness.  
  
“If Mike wasn’t here, it would have.”  
  
Will looked to Mike for a little backup, but he put his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand, “she’s right, dude.”  
  
Will sighed and leaned back in defeat, “Alright, alright you win.”  
  
“Music to my ears,” she smiled, placing her elbows on the table as well. Which just so happened to knock over her bottle, spilling the little bit of cream soda that was left at the bottom all over the table.  
  
Will broke out into laughter, Mike also had a wide grin plastered on his face as Jane just stared at the bottle.  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she stated flatly as the irony registered in her brain.  
  
Mike stood up and brought back napkins, wiping up the pink fluid. Will was enjoying this too much.  
  
“Be careful, don’t spill,” Will mocked, catching Jane’s attention.  
  
She looked at Will with a smile on her face and lightly shoved his shoulder, “that’s enough!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished writing this around 4am this morning and i didn't know how to end this chapter, so sorry if it was a little abrupt!  
> thanks for sticking around through all the uhh,,, waiting


End file.
